Control switch eor automobiles



Feb. 11,1930. R. K. WINNING 1,746,626

CONTROL SWITCH FOR AUTOMOBILES Filed Aug. 16. 1922 INVENTOR. @g M MLKW M+ MW,

ATTORNEYS.

Patented Feb. 11, 1930 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ROBERT K. WINNING, OF MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN, ASSIGNOR TO CLUM MFG. (30., OF MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN, A CORPORATION OF WISCONSIN CONTROL SWITCH FOR AUTOMOBILES Application filed August 18, 1922.

This invention relates to control switches for automobiles and more especially to a switch of the dashboard type such as is commonly employed for controlling the lighting and ignition circuits of the machine. and has for one of its objects to improve the construction of switches of this type.

A further object of the invention is to provide a dashboard switch in which the movements of a single handle or lever may control all of the electrical circuits including the ignition and the bright and dim headlights, as well as the tail light.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a switch of the type described which will be more simple in construction and less expensive to manufacture than those which have been heretofore proposed.

At the present time it is the usual practice to provide separate switches for the lighting and ignition circuits of automobiles, the latter of which is usually provided with a suitable lock for preventing the unauthorized turning of the switch and use of the vehicle.

practice necessitates the duplication of numerous parts, and where a tail lamp is employed for parking purposes, frequently a separate switch is provided therefor. It is the primary object of this invention therefore to provide a switch which will combine in one structure all of the functions so far performed by the two or more separate switches, as was above disclosed.

In the accompanying drawing in which like numerals designate like parts in all tlie views Figure 1 is a front elevational view of a switch made in accordance with the present invention, illustrating the same as applied to the dashboard of a motor vehicle;

Fig. 2 is a central, vertical, sectional, view taken approximately on the plane indicated by the line 22 of Fig. 1, looking in the direction of the arrows;

Fig. 3 is a rear elevational view of the switch shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the dashboard being omitted;

Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 3 with the rear contact bearing plate of the switch This Serial No. 582,210.

omitted to illustrate more clearly the interior construction of the switch; and,

Fig. 5 is a wiring diagram illustrating the switch constituting the present invention connected in the ignition and lighting circuits of an automobile.

In the said drawings, the numeral 6 designates a casing or housing of sheet metal or other suitable material, which is preferably cylindrical in form, and which is provided with a flange 7 to which is secured, as by the screws or bolts 10, the flange 8 of the sheet metal or other cover member 9. A lever or handle member 11 is provided with a stud or pivot 12 which is journalled axially in the said cover member 9, as will be clear from Figs. 1 and 2, and which carries a stamped metal cup-shaped member 13 within which is mounted an insulating plate or disc 1%. The said member 13 is provided with turned over ears 15 which engage the said insulating disc 1 1 to retain the same in place, as will be readily apparent.

Secured to the said insulating disc 14, by the shouldered studs 17, is a metallic con tact member 18. The said member 18 is preferably formed of resilient stamped sheet metal and is normally forced outwardly away from the surface of the disc 14: by small coiled springs 19, one end of which seat in recesses 20 in the disc 14 and the other ends of which seat in recesses formed by the protuberances, to be presently described.

The contact member 18 is preferably shaped substantially as illustrated in Fig. 4, and is provided with a plurality of substan tially hemi-spherical protuberances 21, 22, 23

and 24, which form movable contact points for engagement with other contact members to be presently described.

The casing 6 has secured to it the rear insulating disc or block 25 which serves not only to close the rear face of the said casing, but also to carry a plurality of stationary contact members 26, 27, 28, 29, 30 and 21, arcuately spaced around the said disc or plate 25, substantially as shown in Figs. 3 and 5.

The arcuate distance between each of the members 26, 27, 28, and 29, as well as between the members 30 and 31, .is approximately 40 degrees, while the arcuate distance between the members 26 and 31 is approximately 80 degrees, and the distance between the members 29 and is approximately 120 degrees. The said contact members are provided on their inner surfaces with depressions 32, adaptedto form seats for the protuberances of the contact member 18 whereby the latter member may be accurately positioned and held, as will be readily apparent.

The inner surface of the plate or disc 25 is provided with similar depressions 33, 34, and 35, the depression 33 being spaced midway between the contact members 26 and 31 and the depressions 34 and being equidistantly spaced between the contact members 29 and 30, as will be clear from Fig. 5. These last named depressions 33, 34, and 35 serve as seats for certain of the protuberances of the contact member 18 when the latter is in certain positions, and serve to further hold the said member 18 in its desired position.

The contact members 26 and 27 are bridged or connected together by a metal strip 36, while the contact members 28 and 29 are connected together by a metal strip 37, and the contact members 30 and 31 are connected together by a resistance unit 38.

The insulating disc 25 is further provided with the contact screw which is provided with a spring clip 41' for receiving one end of a fuse 42, the other end of which is held in a spring clip 43 rigid with the contact member 26, as will be clear from Figs. 3 and 5.

The said contact screw 40 is connected by means of a wire 44 to one side of a battery 45, the other side of which is grounded in the usual manner as by the wire 46. The con-.

tact member 29 is connected as by the'wire 47 to the component parts of the ignition circuit of the machine, the contact member 30 is connected as by the wire 48 to one side of the tail light 49, the otherside of which is grounded as by the wire 50, and the contact member 31 is connected by the wire 51 to one side of the headlights 52, the other sides of which are grounded by the wire 53 in the usual manner.

The casing 6 of the switch is provided with a pair of cars 55 which may be stamped therein and which are adapted to be engaged by an arm 57 rigid with the stud 12 and movable switch member 13, as is clearly shown in Figs. 2 and 4, for the purpose of limiting the oscillation of the switch handle 11; The face of the cap 9 is provided-with suitable indications 58, while the handle 11 may likewise be provided with a mark or other indication 59, adapted to coact with the indications 58 to show the positions occupied by the movable contact member 18 The operation of the switch will be clear from the-foregoing but it may bebriefly summarized-as-tollowsl/Vhen the switch handle 11 is in the position illustrated in Fig. 1 all circuits are broken, the protuberances 24, 23, 22, and 21 of the contact member 18 engaging respectively the depressions for the contact members 33, 28, 34, and 31; Since no portion of the contact member -18-is in engagement with either of the contact members 26 and 37, current from-the battery 45- cannotflow past the, said contactmembers 26 and 27, and therefore the ignition and all lights are off.

However, should the switch handle 11 be moved in a clockwise direction, as seen in Fig. 1, until the indicating mark 59 is opposite the indication IGN on the face of the cap 9, such movement will cause the protuberanc s 24, 23, 22, and 21 to engage respectively the contact members or depressions 26, 29, 35, and33, thereby letting the current from the battery flowthrough the wire 46 to the fuse 42, contact member 26, thence along the contact member 18 to the contact member 29 and wire 47 to the ignition circuit. lVhen in this position the ignition is on and all lights are stillofi;

Should the switch lever be moved still further in a clockwise direction to the parking position, the protuberances 24, 23, 22, and 21 will be moved to en age respectively the contact members or depressions 27, 34, 30 and 26, whereupon the ignition circuit will be broken and current from the battery 45 will flow along the wire 48 to the tail light 49 and dim the headlights 52.

Should the switch handle 11 be moved until the indicating mark 59 is opposite the indication HI, then the various protuberances 24, 23, 22, and '21 will be moved to engage respectively the contact members or depressions 31, 27, 29, and 30, thus completing both the ignition circuit and the circuit through the wire 51 to'the headlights 52 and taillight 49. Inasmuch as one of the protuberances 24 is now engaging the contact member 31, the resistance coil'38 is short circuited and'the headlights 52 will receive the full flow of current, thereby causing them to be brilliantly lighted.

1 Should it be wished to chm these lights for city driving, the handle 11 ismoved still fur t ier in a counterclockwise direction until the mark 59 1 is opposite the indication D-I, whereupon the various protuberances 24, 23, 22, and 21 willengage respectively the con tact members or depressions 30, 26, 28, and 35, which will cause the current to flow through the coil 38 before reaching the wire 31, and thus interpose its resistance between the battery 45 and the headlights 52 with abe incorporated in the switch to prevent its being turned by unauthorized persons.

It is obvious that those skilled in the art may vary the details of construction as Well as the arrangement of parts without departing from the spirit of the invention and therefore it is not wished to be limited to the above disclosure except as may be required by the claims.

lVhat is claimed is 1. In a switch, the combination with a sup ply terminal and ignition and lighting output terminals in series at predetermined intervals, of a single movable contactor including moving contacts spaced at predetermined multiples of said intervals some of said contacts being electrically connected with each other and alternatively engageable with said supply and output terminals, whereby to connect said supply terminal selectively with ignition and lighting terminals through en gagement of diiierent contacts therewith.

2. In a switch, the combination with a ter minal head, of an arcuate series of switch contacts thereon, the spacing of contacts being a multiple of a common factor throughout said series, conductors connecting the contacts into sets of two at four consecutive steps in said series, another set of adjacent contacts connected by a resistance and spaced by a plurality of steps from said first mentioned sets, and a moving contactor provided with complemental contacts inter-connected electrically with each other and so arranged as to span one of said first mentioned sets in its neutral position, while being adapted to engage one contact of the spanned set in a position at either side of said neutral position.

3. A switch comprising the combination with a terminal head proviedd in a circular path with nine equidistant stations for moving contacts, fixed contacts at four consecutive stations and at two consecutive stations spaced by one station from said first mentioned fixed contacts, conductors connecting said consecutive pairs of said first mentioned fixed contacts in sets of two, said second mentioned fixed contacts being connected by a resistance, and a moving contacting device provided with four electrical contact elements complementary to the fixed contacts of said terminal head and symmetrically disposed to engage simultaneously two consecutive stations at one side of said terminal head and two stations spaced apart by an intervening station at the other side of said terminal head.

In testimony whereof, I aflix my signature.

ROBERT K. WINNING. 

